In the field of jewlry numerous types of connections between the two ends of a necklace or a bracelet or the end of a necklace and a piece of jewlry are known already, whereby these connection elements comprise a male piece and a female piece, the latter having frequently the form of a length wise extended U which is provided to be introduced in the male piece. The flexibility of the U is further used to produce a latching effect once the female piece has been properly received in the male piece.
Typically, these connection elements, which are frequently called clasps, are themselves executed in a manner as to constitute a piece of jewlry and the clasp, for exemple for a pearl necklace forms an integral portion thereof and can not be exchanged by the owner of the necklace if she would wish to modify the optical appearance thereof. In a pearl necklace, the clasp is typically held by a loop of the thread on which the pearls are arranged. In other applications, the clasp of the necklace is directly brased to the last link of the necklace in the same way as for other metal jewlry.
Further, in particular for pearl necklaces, the thread which carries the series of pearls is formed to a loop at the end of the chain, and this loop engages with a metallic eye which is fastened to each classical connection element. This loop of the thread is suject to considerable abration where it is in contact with the metallic eye, and traditionally, in order to protect this thread, the latter is itself protected by a helically wound metallic wire which runs around the thread of the necklace in a way similar to a piano cord, and which comes into contact with the metal of the eye without permitting excessive friction between the thread of the necklace and the eye.
This technique, although technically satisfactory, comprises certain aesthetic disadvantages because the wire can not be hidden and represents therefore a not very aesthetic element in a number of embodiments of this type of connection.